1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to fluid conduit connectors for interconnecting two fluid conduits. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fluid conduit connector that can be readily assembled into a variety of angular orientations.
2. Disclosure Information
Hydraulic pumps, such as a power steering pump, receive hydraulic fluid from a reservoir through a fluid conduit. This permits the reservoir to be remotely located from the pump, in turn allowing the pump to be located as close to the engine driving the pump as possible. The relationship of the hydraulic pump to the engine changes with each application. Correspondingly, the reservoir location and the fluid conduit communicating fluid from the reservoir to the pump may also change with each different application. Presently, each of these changes necessitates the design and manufacture of a unique connector to interconnect the fluid conduit from the reservoir to a housing of the hydraulic pump.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a single fluid conduit connecting apparatus capable of interconnecting a fluid conduit to a pump housing from a variety of orientations resulting from varying the location of the engine, pump and reservoir to one another.